Bill Riding

Bill Riding

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First appearance

Last appearance

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Bill Riding was a bailiff employed by Alfred Wormold who Elsie Tanner witheld her rent in the spring of 1963. Wormold had imposed an increase of ten shillings a week on his tenants which they all thought was exorbitant. Elsie was the only one to take action, further prompted when Wormold found out that she was sub-letting a room to Christine Appleby against the terms of the tenancy. Elsie had amassed six weeks' back rent when Riding first appeared on the doorstep of 11 Coronation Street but on that occasion the sympathetic neighbours chased him away before he could gain entry. He returned a week later and arrived at the house shortly after the arrival from London of Dennis Tanner who, not knowing what was going on, cheerfully let Riding and his men in.

Elsie was powerless to intervene and the neighbours again gave Riding their opinion of his job. When Doreen Lostock asked him if he ever had bad dreams and compared his job to that of the public hangman he responded that someone had to that job, or repossess cars or furniture as he did. Elsie made Dennis ring the press and under a promise of a photographer being sent along she announced that she'd made her point and gave Riding the owed money. The van full of furniture had to be emptied again and restored to No. 11.